Conventional energy-assisted magnetic recording (EAMR) disk drives generally include an EAMR assembly (e.g., EAMR head) including a light source (e.g., laser) mounted to a sub-mount which is coupled to a slider that can be suspended over a recording media disk. The sub-mount is helpful to dissipate excess thermal energy from the laser and to provide connectivity for electrical signals to the laser.
Light from the laser is directed by a transducer positioned within the slider to a region of the media disk thereby heating the region. Information can then magnetically be written to the media disk in the region that was heated. As precise control and delivery of the laser energy to the media disk can be important, EAMR systems generally require accurate measurement of the magnitude of laser power delivered to the recording media.